The coronavirus outbreak in China has passed its peak, the country’s top health commission said Thursday.

Officials said there were eight new infections in Hubei province, marking the first time the daily total has fallen below 10 in the region where the virus was first detected, Reuters reported.

“Broadly speaking, the peak of the epidemic has passed for China,” said Mi Feng, a spokesman for the National Health Commission. “The increase of new cases is falling.”

Authorities are gradually reducing containment measures, and some businesses are reopening. Officials announced a further loosening of travel restrictions in the Hubei province, where the coronavirus first emerged late last year, and will also allow some industries to resume production in the region.

Manufacturing and trade in Hubei province has been virtually frozen since Jan. 23, as the provincial capital Wuhan and neighboring cities were locked down for safety measures.